September TSC......it was a GREAT one!

September is always a great time of the year. Kids are back in school, people are getting back into some type of work and training routine, football season starts and you can always count on a competitive TSC taking place. This one was no exception. Great competitors and a nice size crowd came to Revolution Fitness to experience this grueling yet fun day of pain.

First of all, here are the competitors and their results"

MEN Open Division

Jeff Cwalinski BW 257 DL 475 Pull ups 11 Snatch 116
Aaron Wilson BW 146 DL 395 pull ups 40 Snatch 122
Osvaldo Aponte BW 152.8 DL 315 Pull ups 29 Snatch 112
Mike LoBue BW 179.2 DL 405 Pull ups 35 Snatch 121
Christian Goodwin BW 169.2 DL 345 Pull ups 11 Snatch 68

MEN Elite Division

Phillip Davis BW 169.2 DL 405 Pull ups w/22.5lbs 16 Snatch w/32kg 114 (new TSC Record)

WOMENS

Jennifer Peters BW 150.2 DL 220 Pull ups 7 Snatch 139
Kristin Olafsdottir BW 144.8 DL 225 Pull ups 10 Snatch 123
Susan Atwater BW 134.2 DL 225 Pull ups 8 Snatch 86
Rhonda Fuller BW 148.4 DL 265 Pull ups 10 Snatch 131

Yoana and I want to congratulate all of the competitors for coming out an competing and giving it their all! It is so motivating to watch athletes push themselves to the limit!

We also want to thank Mike LoBue for bringing his SDSU athletes with him to the competition. He always brings great athletes and is one heck of a coach and motivator for talking them into competing, even if they are totally new to kettlebells, pull ups and deadlifts. Thanks again Mike!

Reflections.......................an Eternal Perspective

I hope this post doesn't come off sounding too dark, too negative and depressing. That is not my intent at all, I'm just sharing what has been on my heart for a while and more importantly it gives me a chance to write some of my thoughts down and reflect on them in a different way. For a while I have wrestled with my own mortality(the fact that I will one day die) and have tried to come to grasps with this fact. Death seems like such a foreign concept to me, to all of us. It seems as if it just shouldn't be and we live our lives and act and behave in ways that might prove that we think we are immortal, which of course is false. The fact of the matter is that life is not a dress rehearsal, it is the real deal. We only get one shot at this life, one opportunity to swing for the fences. Once it is over, our time here on earth is finished. As a professing Christian I believe there is an after life as reason and logic prove to me that this is true.

Atheists try to convince themselves that once" your dead, you are dead, that's it; that's the end of sensation." Yet the universal and overpowering conviction has persisted in every culture since the beginning of time that death does not end human existence. The fact that man is a spiritual being who survives death of the body in which he temporarily lives on earth is a basic human instinct that can be denied only with great effort. Moreover, even apart from scripture, the scientific validity of this universal belief is easily proved.

Death is a fate that we all imagine that we will somehow avoid, at least for a while. The fact is no matter how healthy one may be, we are always one breath away from death. This is a very UNPLEASANT topic that we do not like to talk about or think about. That is why I like what Moses says in the bible that we need God's help to fit our few days into an eternal perspective.

To quote Dave Hunt, "But modern funerals, with their beautiful flowers and kind rememberances of the deceased, seem almost designed to keep the mourning to a minimum in order to help the living remain detached from the unspeakable event that has drawn them together. we cannot bear, for ourselves or for others, to dwell upon the fact that death inevitably puts its terminating stamp on every earthly passion, position, possession and ambition."

Where am I going with all of this. Not sure! I just no that I do not want to waste my life away on trivial things. Coming to grasp with your own mortality is an important thing to do as I believe it can and should push you toward GREAT endeavors and GREAT vision. The very fact that we are mortal makes LIFE that much more significant and precious. So what are you waiting for (myself included). Swing for the fences, do great things. Love people, serve people, and challenge yourself to reach, strive and try harder.

Someone once told me that the only thing you can take from this earth (we certainly can't take any of our material goods) into eternity is the CHARACTER that you develop here.

Down...but not out!

This couple of weeks has been very challenging for me health wise. A nasty virus that turned into an upper respiratory head cold plus a severe case of Prostatitis, a bacterial infection in my prostate. The prostate infection left me going to the bathroom 10 times per night and needless to say I was getting ZERO sleep for days. The prostate infection I think I have had all summer; It just was a very low grade infection that got really, really bad. My urologist gave me six weeks of Cypro to knock it out. Now I now why my energy levels were so poor and my response to exercise was HORRIBLE! I am just so ready to start feeling better and to start training again.

How did I get like this? Well, for one I overwork myself, much like a lot of entreprenurial business owners do. Too much work, not enough rest, and not enough high quality sleep. Number two, my nutrition that past two months has been atrocious. Cookies, ice cream and other junk food have not helped contribute to good health. Yes, even trainers are human and get hooked on bad eating for weeks if not months at a time. Time to regroup and apply SELF CONTROL again. Having great health really comes down to a few simple, but often difficult to apply principles, such as:

1) Discipline
2) Lifestyle
3) Nutrition
4) Training intelligently

If any of these principles gets left behind or abused, health will diminish quickly and aggressively. Adversity with health serves as an opportunity for me to examine why I make some of the choices I do and where I want to be in the next year, 5 years and 10 years. With a baby on the way I must now put my health as a priority because I must be healthy for our little girl. Unfortunately because I am very stubborn an unwise at times, I often have to learn the hard way and let things get really bad before they get better.

What is the difference between a WISE MAN and a SMART MAN?

Think about!

A SMART MAN will find ways to get out of problems or precarious situations!


A WISE MAN will find a way to never get into that problem in the first place!

And that is a big, BIG difference. I am smart a lot of the time. I am not too wise. I need to ask God and for his wisdom and more importantly, learn to APPLY WISDOM!

Proverbs 2:10, 11

When wisdom enters your heart and knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
Discretion will preserve you, understanding will keep you!

Been Busy.........like everyone else!

I love this poster of Steve Prefontaine. He really was one of the greatest athletes to ever live!!!


Sometimes when you are juggling so many things at one time, many of the things we enjoy doing (like blogging)get put on hold. Been a busy couple of weeks. Work schedule has definitely picked up and my responsibilities seem to keep growing(which isn't always a bad thing.) I took last week off from training as I felt awful all week. Maybe a low grade infection or virus. I've been battling something that is for sure and it hasn't been fun. My response to exercise has been very poor which tells me their is some underlying health issue that needs to be addressed. Maybe it's increased stress or a nutritional deficiency? I'm not sure, but I plan on finding out. Overall this week I feel much better, thank God. This week is a very LIGHT week of training to help me slowly come back. I need to listen to my body, especially on those days when I see 8 + clients per day.

On Friday I am off to Phoenix to take a NMT (Neuromuscular Therapy) course for three days on all the muscles of the pelvis and torso. Should be fantastic!

Training Today:

Multi Directional Lunges (5 different angles)w/barbell
2 sets x 10/10 (2 per angle)

Pull Ups
10/8

TGU w/20kg
2 sets x 2/2

Single Clean and Press w/20kg
2 sets x 5/5

That's it for now. Off to Phoenix to learn!

Love this Quote

Today's Training

Double KB Front Squats (20kgs)
5 reps x 5 sets

See Saw Press (24kgs)
5/5 x

Pull Ups (16kg)
8,8 = 16 reps

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

I took this from Geoff Neupert's Blog. It is one of my favorite all time quotes. So much so that we put it in the front of our book "The Revolution Kettlebell Fat Loss Program."

Change......is a good thing!

With the coming of our new baby I have come to realize that change is an important part of life. Their are different seasons of life and with each season comes new opportunities, new perspectives to learn, and new challenges. I also always think of the scripture passage from the book of Ecclesiastes where King Solomon talks about how their is a time for everything; a time to laugh...a time to cry...a time to work and a time to relax..... and I'm sure most of you have read it or heard it. The following poem I found in John Maxwell's the Difference Maker and it's called:

Will I Master Change, or Will Change Master Me?

by Dick Biggs Life's turning points are as sure as the tide Just a matter of when, so why not decide? To Embrace these transitions always to grow 'Tis folly to ignore what you already know. Make a vow to adapt to the crises of life There's no reason to suffer more stress or strife. Quite often change becomes a blessing in time while making you wiser in pursuit of your prime. No change is impossible, no one is exempt You can step out in faith or shrug with contempt. Life comes in cycles, no two are the same To claim nothing's new is a naive game. Some change is impractical, some things must endure You need worthwhile values, so profound and pure. Plus a noble purpose to guide you each day and give life meaning as you forge your way. But most things do change, it's a natural law You can believe this is truth or stand there in awe. It may be uncomfortable, it may cause pain- Won't a regretful heart be a greater strain? With every change, there's an outcome to bear So accept the challenge, for life's seldom fair. Be willing to risk and you're bound to find More courage and strength from a positive mind. Be bold, be daring, be receptive to change For most things are better when you rearrange. Get out of the rut, seek a new vitality Move beyond the old to a fresh reality. Ah, life has turning points, they won't disappear Rise up to greet them and conquer your fear. The choice is simple, it's as clear as can be: Will I master change or will change master me?

I love that poem and read it often. Good stuff!

TRAINAING

Yesterday at home:
KB Military Press w/24kg
3/3 x 10 sets

Snatches w/24kg
5/5 x 10 sets = 100 reps

Overhead sqats w/24kg
3/3 x 3 sets

Saturday Track Workout:
Warm Up
20 yards x 3
30 yards x 3
40 yards x 2
60 yards x 1

Suicides w/ 5 cones (with cones placed every 10 yards)
5 sets

Thursday

Double KB Military Press (2 x 24kgs)
5 x 5 sets

Weighted Pull Ups w/24kg
5,4,3,2,2

Snatches w/24kg
10/10 x 1 set

Motivated by Excellence! Bulldog Snatch Video

Well, what can I say. I am motivated by watching excellence in others and recently the postings by Rif about Kenneth Jay and his snatch numbers with beast have opened my mind to what is possible. Kenneth is on another level.......well.......another planet. His strength and power levels are unreal and I know there are many other KB practitioners that will raise their KB numbers and loads after Kenneth has raised the bar for all of us. Let's be honest. Anyone that can snatch the BEAST (106 pounds) consecutively for 25 reps (one arm) + 24 reps (the other arm) is a mutant. He did those numbers and that got me listening. That guy knows what he is doing and his training is simplistically focused on strength and power.

I have not been snatching heavy KB's for a while, especially since my lumbar disc herniation last year. Back is feeling a ton better and has been for a while but I wanted to test my snatch numbers with the 40kg Bulldog. My previous snatch record at the June RKC in 2006 was 15 reps on my right and 10 reps on my left. Well today I got 16 reps on my right (woo hoooo) and only 6 on my left (booooo). There is definitely a huge weakness on my left side but either way I am excited that I was able to snatch it for some reps. It proves my theory that you do not have to lift heavy in order to be able to lift heavy. If you get good at snatching the 24kg you will have the base conditioning to able to lift a heavier bell. Our good friend and Muay thai instructor Roger Lewis was nice enough to film it for me.

BULLDOG SNATCH VIDEO

Yes I know......the left arm is LAUGHABLE. The first rep I barely even got up overhead. I have lots of work to do on the left side fore sure!

Answer from legendary sprint coach Charlie Francis!

When I was 26 (I'm 33 now) I submitted a question about sprinting to Charlie Francis, possibly the best sprint coach to ever live. Well funny thing is I was an Tom Furman's site and saw a collection of Q and A's with Charlie Francis that he has posted. I was shocked to find my question and his answer in there. It only took 7 years for me to get the answer. Here is my question that I gave him and the following is his answer. But you know what? I am still pumped to have this answer because it does answer some questions for me as I head off to the track to sprint right after I post this! God bless Charlie Francis!



Sprinting, Rapid Improvements, and Those Wacky East Germans

Q: I'm a 26 year old 100m sprinter who's been sprinting on and off since my junior year in high school. In the college program I attended my times were worse than in high school and I attribute it to the buffoon type of aerobic training my coach insisted I do. Well, years have passed and since having read your material I sprinted my PR of 10.72 (electronic- previous best was 11.00) with very poor strength levels. My goal is to get down to 10.4 this upcoming track season. Is this level of rapid improvement possible in one year? 10.72 felt like I was floating; it was the easiest race I've run. Have you ever seen anyone drop their 100m time by 4/10's of seconds?

A: That's a lot of time to drop all at once, especially as you've already dropped 3/10's in the last year! I'd suggest that you put some of the time planning on hold and concentrate on getting the best training program in place that you can. Relax and let the results come to you.

Your comment about your 10.72 race illustrates what I mean. The best races always feel easy! Don't put pressure on yourself. I'm not sure what sort of aerobic training you did before, but I've always had a significant aerobic component in my running programs (about 35% anaerobic, 65% aerobic). These runs act as an "active recovery," enhancing blood flow and increasing capillary density (the enhanced microscopic network slows down the flow of blood past the cells, allowing more time for complete nutrient transfer).

The other poorly understood, but even more important benefit, is the increased ability of the body to generate more heat around the muscle motor neurons. Increased heat around the neurons lowers electrical resistance, allowing more current to pass. This permits more muscle fiber to act as fast twitch fiber!

The East Germans understood the role of additional heat when an extensive review of world record performances revealed how often the record setter was at the early stages of a cold and running a fever when the record was set. (Later into the cold, the adverse effects outweigh the benefits, of course.) This led the East Germans to experiment with de-natured viruses to generate a slight fever immediately prior to a world record attempt!

The warning here is that these "tempo" runs must not interfere in any way with the quality of the high-speed runs. This means that aerobic interval runs must not exceed 75% of your best possible speed. If your best time for the 200 meters is 21 seconds, then your interval 200 meter runs must be slower than 28 seconds! Additionally, your last interval must be as fast as your first. If you have any problem doing that, you're going too fast!

Liftting something a little heavier

Video of American Sprinter Tyson Gay running a 19.68 in the 200 meters.


It's amazing how your body adapts to loads. For the last 4 to 5 weeks I have been using lighter loads (less than the 24kg) for almost all movements. Well today I pulled out the 40kg, 32kg and 28kgs and they felt great, but really heavy. I tend fry out my CNS if I lift more than two weeks heavy. Perhaps 2 weeks of heavy followed by 2 weeks of lighter/speed work is the key.


Friday Training

A-1 Weighted Pull Ups
40kg - missed (a couple of inches away. This is a bummer because at the June RKC I got this weight, no problem)
32kg - 1o sets x 1 = 10 reps

B-1 Double KB Clean and Press
28kg's - 2,2,2,2,2 = 10 reps

C-1 Front Squat w/24kg KB
5 sets x 10 reps = 50 reps
Wednesday Training

A-1 Double KB Press w/24kgs
5,5,5,4

B-1 Front Lunges w/ 16kgs
4 sets x 6/6

C-1 My version of the Kenneth Jay Snatch workout
32kg, 24kg, 16kg R / L / R, L / R / L for 15 second intervals x 3 reps

That smoked me big time. Need to start adding this in every week.

More Pics!

Back from Hawaii.....what a trip!!!

Our week voyage on the Big Island of Hawaii came to end on Monday as we returned to the mainland. For those of you who have never been to the big island, you must go. It is gorgeous, volcanic and has fantastic weather. We were able to completely detach from work, stress and the daily routine. However it took me a couple of days to stop checking my e-mail on my cell phone and to de-stress. I am so used to going, going, going that it is often hard for me to slow down and chill. But the energy in Hawaii gets to you and SLOWS you down to the ALOHA pace of life. We stayed at the Hualalai Resort, part of the Four Seasons. WOW! This place is as nice as it gets. Our most difficult decision every day was deciding which pool we were going to go to, which beach, and which Spa/gym we were going to train at? Yeah, yeah, I know, super tough decision making, right?



We had a blast and are already planning our next trip there. As much I love vacation it is always nice to come back home and get back to work, training, our dogs, etc. I love that life that we have here so that always makes it fun to come home to. Training wise we were able to train every day and one of the gyms (Kukio)even had dragondoor kettlebells. It amazes me that on vacation I can train every single day but at home I can train 3 to 4 days per week maximum. When you have no stress and are relaxing all day, your recovery ability is beyond phenomenal. Now I now why pro athletes can train every day because they don't have to be on their feet working all day. When they are not training they are relaxing, or doing something to enhance recovery.

Overall a great trip.

Ready for Vacation!

Well, Yoana is finally starting to feel better from the pregnancy. She passed the 3 month mark last week and did a very thorough food allergy and food sensitivity evaluation with CHEK Practioner Aaron Wilson. He absolutely dialed in which foods were causing her problems and also figured out which organs and glands were being over taxed. Now she feel so much better. I to did the same testing yesterday and found out I had a whole bunch of things going in my body. Thank God I am on the road to improving my health and knocking out a virus and bacterial infection in my gut that have been bugging me for a while. Very Exciting!

On monday we fly to the beautiful BIG ISLAND of HAWAII for a week of vacation together. We are both exhausted from a brutally busy first half of the year and one week in KONA is just what the doctor ordered. We are so ready for this!!! YES!!!!!

Saturday Sprinting Session with my client Brett

* Yoana and I took 2 of our classes outside to La Jolla Cove on the Grass. Outside classes rock !! We will be doing this more often in the future

Warm Up

Full Speed sprints on grass

3 x 20 yards
3 x 30 yards
2 x 40 yards

Suicides with 5 cones spaced 10 yards apart
4 intervals at 70% intensity

Thursday Training

Snatches w/20kg
7 sets x 10/10 = 140 reps ( I was going for 10x10 but left hand blister went crazy)


Tuesday Training

Weighted Pull Ups w/16kg
5,5,5,5,5,5

Double Military Press (no clean)
20kgs 8 sets x 6 reps

Assisted Pistols
4 sets x 3/3

TAKE CARE! We are off to Hawaii! May God bless you all!!!!

Impossible is nothing!

The following is from an Adidas add in ESPN Magazine:



"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an oppinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing."

Anyway, I thought this was pretty cool. Hope you enjoy it!!!

Saturday's Training

A-1 Chin ups w/12kg KB
8,8,8,6,5,5,4,3,3,2 = 52 reps

B-1 Single Arm KB Military Press
20kg 8/8 x 6 sets

C-1 Pistols with stretch Band
3 sets x 5/5


Thursday Training
A-1 Double KB Front Squats
12kg's 5 sets x 8 reps

B-1 Pull Ups w/ 24kg
5,5,5,5,5

C-1 Single KB Press w/24kg
5 sets x 6/6

Tuesday Training
A-1 Pull Ups w/16kg
5,5,5,5,5

B-1 Double KB Military Press
20kg's 8 sets x 6 reps

C-1 Pistols w/ stretch band
2 x 5/5

Ouch!!!! Dropped KB on my toe!

Much to my surprise, I managed to drop a 20kg KB on my left big toe two days ago. Let's just say that I am going to lose my big toe nail, and lose it quickly. Damn it! That means no track meet today which is a real bummer because I was looking forward to competing in the 50 meter dash at Cal State San Marcos today - oh well! Just like Pavel says, if I get injured "IT'S MY FAULT." Now it means nothing but wearing my MERRELL sport sandals all summer. Well at least the weather is nice and warm and I'll look and be ready for the beach :)

Instead of track meet / I decided to train:

Snatches w/24kg KB
12 sets x 5/5 = 120 reps

Chin Ups w/ 12kg
8,7,7,7,7,6,6,

Military Press (no clean)w/20kg KB
8/8 x 4 sets 6/6 x 1 set

Fun workout today. Really enjoyed it! Off to LA for the weekend with my Yoana right now.

Priorities!

Having priorities in training and in life are obviously a good thing. Training wise I have narrowed down my goals to the following:

1) Maintain stability in lumbar spine and continue to heal from my Disc herniation last year.

2)Continue to sprint at least once per week and run as fast as I can. My goal is to return to running the 100 meters in less than 11 seconds (my PR is a 10.72). I would be very happy getting to a 10.8 again. Two meets ago I ran a 12.2 (worst race of my life) and then followed it up with an 11.7 (still slow, but much better than the 12 second joke). As long as my back tolerates it well I will continue to sprint. If there is pain, I will take a break. I would rather function well and feel great than sprint and live with pain. So far so good.

3)Get damn strong at pull ups and pressing. Pull ups with the BEAST (2 reps) and 2 reps with the BULLDOG on the Press. I'm close to getting one with the BEAST on the pull up (a couple of inches away from my chin.) My press is pathetically far away. Although I was very encouraged by what Kenneth Jay said at the June RKC, in order to Press Heavy you have to press all the time, and not light either. I have my work cut out for me on the press. I am naturally a much better puller than presser. I feel that the heavy pull ups will help my pressing.

4) Be able to do some pistols again. A couple of years ago I could bang out 5 reps on each leg with a 40 pound weight. Now I can do 1 rep with the 24kg on the right and ZERO reps with any weight (even bodyweight ) on my left. Since my back injury I have developed quite a left hip weakness that I am still trying to figure out. The jump stretch bands seem to be a nice help as it allows me to at least get down into the bottom position. My left psoas is tight, rigid and weak, I can feel it.

Tuesday Training

A-1 Weighted Pull Ups
24kg 5,5,5,5,4 = 24 reps (these felt really good - powerful pull!)

B-1 Clean + Squat + Press
32kg 3/3 x 5 sets

Excellence is always a choice!

Although this is a "training blog" it's impossible for me to segregate my life into chunks and not integrate all other areas as well, whether it be spiritual, family, professional, etc. The way I see it, training is as much a character and moral challenge as it is a physical one. Where am I going with all of this? I can now see after being in the training profession for over 11 years that one of the most important factors that determines success whether it be in training, my marriage, or even as a strength coach, is my determination and will to be committed to EXCELLENCE. I must admit that after super long days and weeks of training clients sometimes my commitment to excellence in my training takes a back seat as just showing up to do the workout is a success for me. Like Coach Dan John says, most world class champion athletes built their foundation on "punch the clock" workouts. However, that does not take me off the hook. If I am not always committed to excellence that I am in deep weeds.

Having just recently returned from teaching at the RKC certification I am even more convinced of the simplicity of Pavel's take home message of "Strength is a skill."
Because strength truly is a skill we must absolutely ensure that our training is done properly or in an EXCELLENT manner as to develop our skill of whatever it is we are trying to do.

Here is a great quote from one of my favorite Christian authors and teachers Chuck Swindoll:

"Competetive excellence requires 100 percent all of the time. If you doubt that, try maintaining excellence by setting your standards at 92 percent. Or even 95 percent. People figure they're doing fine so long as they get somewhere near it. Excellence gets reduced to acceptable, and before long, acceptable doesn't seem worth the sweat if you can get by with adequate. After that, mediocrity is only a breath away."

The take home message for me from that is to PRACTICE not TRAIN. Instead of doing workouts, perform practice sessions. All it is a change of perspective and to REALLY FOCUS ON TECHNIQUE rather than exercise stimulation. Easier said than done, but it is and must me our focus in whatever we decide to do. For me it means raising the bar and raising my standards in every area of my life. It means doing less things but doing them well. Rather than being a jack of all trades, master of none, I want to be knowledgeable about many things, but master of ONE. You must decide what your ONE thing is.

Thursday / Speed Day at the Track ( I have a track meet on June 30th)
Warm Up

3 x 10 meters (95%)
3 x 20 meters (95%)

Wednesday
A-1 Double Clean and Press
24kgs 5 x 5 sets

B-1 Pistols
Left leg - used Stretch Band 3 x 3 sets
Right leg - 12kg 3 x 3 sets

* The left leg is much weaker as I am not able to perform a pistol at this time. Much practice is needed!

C-1 Weighted Chin Ups
16kg 8, 5, 3 = 16 reps

Summer is Close!

Yoana and I have been walking alot on the beach the last couple of days which is nice because she has not been feeling well at all. The fact that we can get her outside moving is a huge blessing (for both of us). Summer has to be one of my favorite times of the year, isn't it for you to? I love the beach, the sun, the sound of the waves crashing down on the ocean floor, and just being outside. Life seems so simple when you lie down a beach towel, soak in some rays, listen to the waves, the sounds of seagulls flying overhead and take a nap. Thank God I am self employed and can schedule my day to where if I want to escape and go the beach with Yoana I can. That's what we did today and it was heavenly!!! Warm and sunny and not a cloud in the sky. Okay, enough of the sentimental stuff....

Training Today

A-1 Weighted Pull Ups
20kg 5,5,3,3

B-1 Clean + Squat + Press
24kg 5/5 x 5 sets

Short and Sweet!

Friday
A-1 Snatches
24kg 5/5 x 10 sets = 100 reps

B-1 Single Leg Deadlift
40kg 5/5 x 3 sets

Wednesday
A-1 Double Clean & Press
24kgs 5 x 5 sets

Monday
A-1 Single Clean and Press
24kg 5/5 x 5 sets

Just back from the June RKC....

Congratulations to all the new RKC's! They worked their butts off and earned their certification!


What a weekend? This was my first time as a Team Leader, 5th year in a row that I've been back, and I must say that the RKC system just keeps getting better. It was great finally getting to meet Rif in person and to meet and see Kenneth Jay talk. Kenneth is as nice as they come and his teaching and explanations are rock solid and very powerful. Rif is one of the most passionate and knowledgeable teachers I have ever met. He truly has been there and done that and has earned his stripes. His teaching style if full of energy and just makes sense. Brett Jones was great with his militant disciplinary approach and his style of teaching just seems to get the point across so effectively. San Jose strength coach Chris Holder was awesome as well and his teaching on the clean was very fantastic.

Pavel, well.......Pavel was Pavel. What a powerful teacher! He's the one who started this whole thing so we really have to give thanks to Pavel for all he has done. He is a leader of leaders and runs a top notch program. Seeing John Ducane and Dennis Armstrong is always great and what would we do without their guidance, wisdom, and work ethic. Also getting to meet the assistant instructors was great. The Assistants on my team Spencer and Greg were awesome and I couldn't have asked for better assistants. I also got to meet Brad Nelson which was cool as well as Joe Pavel. Seeing Jon Engum again as well as Doug Nepodal was awesome, such cool people!

I also have to give props to my wife for her awesome job as an Assistant considering she is 11 weeks pregnant. She is a trooper that's for sure. She was scheduled to be the team leader at the June RKC but we asked Pavel if we could swap just in case she didn't feel too well. Either way it worked out great because we both got to go and teach in some capacity!

There is so much to say about this program and the positive impact it has on people's life. It gives them hope and a sense of direction in the chaotic and information saturated fitness industry. To use a quote from Jesus, the RKC is a "light in a dark, dark world." It despenses from all the fluff and all the nonsense that people get involved with and gives people solid results producing techniques and principles. Without a doubt it is the best program and certification I have ever been involved with.

My group:
Will, Dave, Diane, Eric, Mark, Brett, Fran, Mike, Chad and Steve - great group! Period!

This was the first time in 5 years that everyone in my group has passed. Everyone passed the snatch test and everyone passed with flying colors on the technique testing and victim instruction. Great job guys!!!!

Probably like everyone else who attended the RKC last weekend, they are still flying high. I for sure am still riding the roller coaster high as the energy was contagious and the motivation factor was high. I am so grateful to be part of this program and what it means to me and Yoana in our lives. I can only hope that many more people will see the benefits of the RKC and will experience the life enhancing benefits that we have experienced over the last 5 years.

Rock on!

If you want to be a better trainer.......

...therapist and strength coach, you must know and understand "Anatomy and Physiology." At a recent NMT Lecture I took in Phoenix in April, this is what Don Kelley (NMT Instructor) kept emphasizing. I completely agree with Don, 100%. The level of knowledge of the average trainer and fitness professional is appalingly bad, and frankly, I don't care to ever be put into that category. These NMT seminars are igniting a new level of commitment and passion for learning much more in depth the amazing principles and anatomy that are the human body. For those of you reading this that really want to increase your knowledge about anatomy I highly recommend the seminars put on by NMT Center, started by Judith Delaney Walker. Two must have resources explaining the Neuromuscular techniques written by Judith Delaney Walker and Leon Chaitow are:

Clinical Applications of Neuromuscular Techniques Volume 1 The Upper Body

Clinical Applications of Neuromuscular Techniques Volume 2 The Lower Body

On a similar but different note, if you want a crash course in anatomy and physiology do yourself a favor and see the BODIES exhibit. Talk about an amazing exhibit!!! We went with Yoana's family last weekend in San Diego to see the exhibit and we were totally blown away. Real bodies, real organs, and reaaaalllllyyyy good information. What helped me was the fact that I was able to see four cadavers in Phoenix in April. It gave me a first hand look and touch of what the anatomy looks like pre-disected. And the Bodies exhibit gives you that same advantage, even though you cannot touch these bodes. Either way it gives you such a real persective about how amazing the muscles are, yet alone the rest of the body.

Training

Tuesday

Track Day / Tempo Running
Warm Up

8 x 100 meters (@70% effort)

MondayA-1 Double Clean and Press
24kgs 5 x 5

B-1 Weighted Chin Ups
24kg 5,4,3,2,2

C-1 Single Leg Deadlift
28kg 5 x 6/6

Saturday
Tempo Runningy May 26th

10 x 100 yards (@75% intensity)

Off to Palm Desert this weekend for some R & R with Flaca (my wife)!

Posture Seminar: The Gravity Game

Just got back from an incredible seminar from NMT Center in Phoenix called the "Gravity Game", a comprehensive seminar about postural assessment, the effects of biomechanical stress in the body, gravity, the feet and gait. Overall it was very good and the part on the foot and how to assess foot function was OUTSTANDING! This year has been especially cool for me as I have new found passion to study human anatomy and take my comprehension of functional anatomy to a new level.

One of the first laws you learn about in the Bible is the law of sowing and reaping. What you sow you reap. This principle applies to every aspect of life and especially your career. If you are a trainer for your profession or are in the health and wellness industry what you sow in terms of study and self growth you will reap. It's funny, since I have started taking these Neuromuscular Therapy Seminars I have started attracting so many new clients and with complex orthopedic challlenges that I would have never been able to help due to my lack of knowledge is various areas. Well, I can tell you first hand that the law of sowing in reaping applies big time when it comes to expanding your business and becoming a person if influence in your community. Those of you who are avid self growth junkies and actually put into action the material you learn can attest to the truth of what I'm talking about. The day you stop growing is the day you start going backwards, both spiritually and professionaly. I am so excited with the new direction in my business as it has BREATHED NEW LIEF INTO ME!!!

BOTTOM LINE: Keep learning, keep growing, ask questions and don't be one of those people that thinks they know it all. For the more you learn the more you truly learn how little you do know.

Monday Training

A-1 Reverse Lunges
2x20kg's 4 x 6/6

B-1 Clean and Press
28kg 5 x 2/2

C-2 Bent Over Rows
28kg 2 x 6/6

Pleasure, Ease and Comfort!

One of the interesting topics we talked about during the NMT(Neuromuscular Therapy) Seminar last month in Phoenix was that the body's primary goal is to move toward pleasure, ease and comfort. If you think this through you will find that what I'm saying is totally true. The body will do everything it can to avoid displeasure, pain and discomfort. What I'm talking about here are the autonomic functions of the body that we do not consciously control. You never have to tell you body to bring blood into an injured area or to remove lactic acid completely from you muscles within 45 minutes after a workout. Because of this we have to learn how to work with this principle and use it to our advantage. That is why trigger point therapy such as NMT, myofascial release, foam roller work, joint mobility and other modalities are so important. They assist your body in moving toward ease and pleasure which allows you to train and function at a higher level.

Let's look at the reverse thinking of that principle and apply it to attittude and character. Now when it comes to attitude and moral issues, staying in our "COMFORT ZONE" is a huge mistake. The only time you really stretch your moral fiber is when you put yourself in uncomfortable situations and grow. In fact, you can never really grow in a comfortable place. I have found that some of the biggest and most important lessons in my life have come from very difficult situations which at times seemed hopeless. As my client Bob says (who by the way is multi-millionare and unbelievably successful) "adversity is a tool that can be used to make you better." He even says that truly successful people will bring self-imposed adversity into their lives when things get to easy or the sailing is too smooth. If life is too comfortable you may be in a dangerous place.

That is how I look at strength and conditioning: SELF IMPOSED ADVERSITY.

You are intentionally putting load (adversity) on your muscles and structure so that it builds itself up and becomes stronger. If you never expose your muscles and structure to this adveristy, you never get stronger or fitter. You become less healthy, more fat and less prepared for the trials and potential tribulations of life that come your way.

Please share me what you think about ADVERSITY and how you have used it to overcome obstacles in your life....


Thursday Training

A-1 Barbell Front Squats
95lbs 5 x 5 (1 min rest on the GymBoss)

B-1 Dead Snatch
28kg 5 x 5/5 (1 min rest on the GymBoss)

C-1 Weighted Pull Ups
20kg 5,5,3,3,3 (1 min rest on the Gym Boss)

Wednesday:
Tempo Running at Track
Warm up
9 x 100 yards sprints @ 70% intensity (hamstring is feeling better!)


Monday Training:

A-1 Reverse Lunges
2x16kgs 4 x 6/6

A-2 Double Clean and Press
24kgs 4 x 5

B-1 Alternating Cleans
2x20kgs 1 x 10/10

An UNHURRIED Life

"Hurry is not of the devil; hurry is the devil." - Carl Jung

"Superficiality is the curse of our age." - Richard Foster

Why write about this? Because I feel that always being in a hurry has caused me to miss out on many of life's most simple joys. Owning your own business, keeping a healthy vibrant marriage, training, reading, studying ,self growth, and family all require a certain amount of time in order to be fruitful. The challenge is in learning to keep all of these in balance without forgetting what is truly important in life. My tendency is to get my schedule so busy with clients that I barely have time to train, study and spend quality time with Yoana. The hectic pace leaves me absolutely smoked and in a chronic state of mental and physical exhaustion. Perhaps some of you have experienced what I am talking about?

Perhaps it's my personality but I have tend to be fear driven with alot of anxiety. I feel that keeping ultra busy with my work will keep me and my family financially secure, but at what expense. Starting in January I really started noticing how much my physical, mental and spiritual health has been impacted from my hectic "HURRIED" pace of life. I honestly cannot say that I have cured this problem, but I am 100% aware of the problem and the negative impact it has had on my life. My training has suffered. An amazing book I read by John Ortberg called "The Life You've Always Wanted; Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People" really awakend me to the ideas I am writing about in this post. I know I am not alone; hurry sickness is the disease of the modern 21st century. Perhaps you have seen people do these things or you yourself do them"

* talk on the cell phone while driving
* Check your e-mail on your cell phone while driving or while eating
* Check your e-mail or answer phone calls while eating with your family
* Multi -tasking (driving, eating, talking on the phone, listening to the radio)
* Accumulating Clutter
* Constantly speeding up daily activities
* Superficiality

One of the things I have started doing is intentionally slowing down my day. Rather than speeding around everywhere as fast as possible, I am purposely driving slower or picking the longest line that the grocery store rather than the shortest one. Beleive me, it is not easy, but it is giving me more peace and less stress. I am also trying to find time for more solitude. Going for walks by the ocean or going and practing putting has been great for me in many ways. It slows me down, gets me into nature as well. Another thing that Yoana and I have started doing is hiking on the weekends. Just getting outside and hiking up mountains has brought so much joy into my life I can't believe it. I feel like a kid again when I do things like hiking.

Anyway, my point is that Life does require alot of work, but we can do our work is a slower, more mindful state of mind. Trying to do everything rushed rarel works, and the quality of our work is mediocre at best. Here is a quote from the book,

"The deeper truth is that we live is a lethal environment. American society is filled with ideas and values and pressures and temptations about success and security and comfort and happiness that we will not even notice unless we withdraw on occasion. Thomas Merton wrote that the early church fathers places such an premium on solitude because they considered society to be a shipwreck from which any sane perosn must swim for his life. These people believed that to let oneself drift along, passively accepting the tenets and values of what they knew as society,was purely and simply a diaster."

Powerful stuff. Are you passively accepting things in your life that are destructive you your soul? Only you can answer that question.

My hamsting is still healing as I feel some pain upon stretching. I think I'll start doing some light tempo running next week. I have a track meet in late June and plan on running in the 50 meter dash. Hopefully my hammie will be ready to go by then.

Training this week: I am taking this week off. True to my nature and habits, I overdid it last week and am smoked. I ran myself into the ground and need a week to recover. You would think I would start to learn from my mistakes, geez!

Imperfection Training.........Have you tried it?

My twin brother Keats wrote a article called "Imperfection Training" for T-mag a couple of years ago. The basic premise of the article is that in our quest for the holy grail of strength and fitness, training PERFECTLY or safely is not always to our advantage. In other words, mixing your training by using barbell that are unevenly weighted on each side, performing your exercises blindfolded or even having someone unexpectedly bump and push you while exercising can have tremendous benefits. So rather than always mixing up our movements so we never make any real progress, we take Pavel's concept of the "SAME BUT DIIFERENT" and tweak the current exercises we currently do.

Well that is what I did today during my Single leg deadlifts, I used a blindfold and man was it difficult. Talk about a nervous system cocktail!!! If you have not tried it, do it, you will be shocked how difficult it is. So go ahead and try to spice up your current training program my using the "Imperfection" technique.

Is safe always better? Not always!!! Is your posture always perfect in a sporting environment? If a lineman tackles you are worried about posture? Questions to ask yourself. I am all for posture and maintaining integrity in your structure during training but I think we can get carried away with it. Read my brother's article for a more indepth discussion!

Training:

A-1 Pistol on Bench (to rehab the left hammie)
8kg 3 x 5/5

B-1 Single Leg Deadlifts (blindfolded)
24kg 5 x 5/5 (left hammie is feeling better. I'm Pummped I could even do this)

C-1 See Saw Press
24kgs 5 x 5/5

D-1 BW Chin Ups
12,12, 8

E-1 Farmers Walk
2 x 20kg 90 yards x 3 sets

Great Weekend.....7th Wedding Anniversary

My wife and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary over the weekend. We took from Friday noon until today OFF from work and it felt great. It's amazing how stopping on friday and not working on Saturday makes you feel like you have much more of a weekend. We always work saturday mornings and frankly, I think we're done working weekends. Now don't get me wrong, I love what I do, much taking time off to recuperate and enjoy life is what it is all about. The highlight of the weekend were two incredible hikes up Cowles mountain, San Diego's tallest peak. What a workout and what an incredible view. Yoana and I are hooked!

Today

A-1 Clean and Press
28kg 3/3, 2/2, 1/1
32kg 2/2, 1/1, 1/1

B-1 PVC Pipe Elevated Push Ups (feet on bench)
BW 3 sets x 10 reps

B-2 Single Arm Bent Over Row
28kg 3 sets x 6/6

C-1 MB slams
12lb MB 4 sets x 25 reps

D-1 Farmer's Walks
2 x 20kg 3 x 90 yards

Friday

KB Snatch
24kg 10/10 x 6 = 120 reps

Pull Ups
32kg 2/2/2/2/2 = 10 reps

Hamstring is still healing. It definitely feels much better than it did last week although I still cannot use my left leg explosively,

Thursday Training and a VIDEO of the Captain

Still rehabing the Left hamstring. It is functioning better. Thank God for my active job as it is allowing me to actively rehab it training clients. I couldn't imagine sitting behind a desk for 8 hours a day. God Bless those people that have to, ouch!

Training

Single Leg Deadlifts (Right leg only)
28kg 8 sets x 5 reps
S/S
KB Double Military Press
2 x 20kg 8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1

Farmers Walk 90 yards
2 x 20kg x 3 rounds

Chin Ups (BW)
2 x 10

Here is a video from the Gym Jones website featuring Vincent, who played the captain in the movie 300. Talk about a transformation in 8 weeks, WOW!

VIDEO

100 meters

Last weekend I competed again in the 100 meters as well as the 200 meters at the UCSD Triton Invitational. The good news was that I won my heat in the 100 meters and substantially improved my time. Two weekends ago in Phoenix I ran a pedestrian 12.04 in the 100 meters. This meet I ran an 11.74. Although rather slow compared to my PR of 10.72 seconds in 1999, for not having seriously trained for 8 years I will take it. I can feel my speed coming back and feel I can return to the days of running 10.9 or 10.8 seconds.

The challenge came when I strained my left hamstring (semi-tendinosis) in the 200 meters. My start was great and I passed the first two guys in lane two and three. As soon as I hit the straight away I felt hamstring pull violently and I immediately stopped running. PAIN! The funny thing was that I wasn't even planning on doing the 200 meters but I felt so excited after the 100 meters I decided to enter the 200. They stuck me in lane 1. For those of you who have experience in track meets you all know how tight of a lane it is because it is the innermost lane on the track. My hamstrings and calves were already fatigued after a hour and half warm up and the 100 meters. I should have stopped there but my damn EGO got the best of me.

Major lesson learned: Start small and think baby steps. Take it one step at a time and don't try do things you are not prepared to do.

This week is a recovery week as I am icing and rehabing the muscle strain. Walking is difficult but getting better every day. Thank God I stopped as soon as I felt it because it could have been way worse.

Tuesday:
Pistols (right leg only) 3 x 5 (research shows that if you train the well limb there is carry over to the injured limb)
See Saw Press 24's 5 sets x 5/5
Explosive Pull ups to sternum 5 sets x 5

Weekend in Phoenix.....Cadaver Lab....NMT Seminar

I Went to an amazing seminar in Phoenix last Weekend:

Neuromuscular Therapy / Care of soft tissue pain and dysfunction (American Version developed my Judith DeLany NMT. The course was LOWER EXTREMITY

In the late 90's I took a couple of the Paul St. John's NMT seminars but in many ways this seminar was more digestible, easier to understand and taught in a very precise yet clear format. You can't go wrong either one but I have decided to go ahead and take all 5 of their courses and become certified through them.

Friday: Friday morning was a cadaver lab which was optional but I decided to do it since I have never studied on a cadaver. There were 4 different bodies and I must admit that initially it a little creepy. I changed my mentality, focused quickly, put on my gloves and morphed into scientific mode. The bodies were predisected so that muscles of the leg and pelvis were easily accessible and easy to seperate. I must say that seeing the muslces and touching them without the skin is the BEST way to learn anatomy. Talk about a visual. Here a couple of things that really surprised be about general anatomy that I never realized.

1) I never realized how small the quadriceps actually are. When you think of legs you think of hams and quads and how they provide the bulk of muscle in the legs. WRONG! The quadriceps are not even close to being the biggest muscles in the leg. It may appear that way because they are the most superficial. The biggest muscles in the leg are the addcutors, and mainly the ADDUCTOR MAGNUS. The Magnus is so thick and once you pick it up in your hands you get an appreciation of how powerful and big this muscle is. The Magnus is what gives you the girth and thickness. The instructor for the course, an amazing teacher named Don Kelley,says that the Vastus Lateralis and the Adductor Magnus are in competition with each other for the biggest muscle in the leg. Either way, both the lateralis and magnus are big honking muscles.

2) The hamstrings are puny little guys as well. I always thought they were these giant muscles, not so. Perhaps they can be but they just do not have the bulk or size of the previous two muscles we talked about.

3) I was shocked on how big the GLUTE MEDIUS is. In fact it the glute medius that gives the butt the rounds shape. The glute maximus in thick but doesn't have the attachments high on the illum like the medius does. What I never appreciated before was how low on the femur the distal portion of the glute maximum attaches to. To fully treat the maximus you have to go fairly low on the femur to treat it.

4)The Sciatic nerve is fricking big. You could almost pick up the entire body by pulling on this nerve. I didn't realize how big it actually id.

5)Remeber this acronym; VAN. Veins, arteries and nerves. They almost always travel together in the body and seeing that in a body drives the point home.

6)We always hear about how fascially wrapped muscles are in the body but I never knew to how great of an extent that is true. Your body, organs, muscles, ligaments and tendons are so wrapped in fascial connective tissue that it showed me how essential fascia is and what a forgotten component it is in therapy, exercise and stretching.

Overall the seminar was a life changing for me. I am so excited to be re-learning my anatomy because I am in a time in my life where my focus is much better. I plan on doing as many cadaver labs as I can in the next two years and hopefully next year I will travel to Florida to do a week long course in cadaver disection where each team gets a fresh body and gets to disect layer by layer for one week. I would recommend any therapist and strength coach to get into some cadaver disections to REALLY learn the anatomy. It can only make you a better coach and therapist.

The rest of Friday was a lecture on the principles of NMT.

SAT and SUN: These days we went over all the routines for the lower extremity.
The Routines:
Anterior Thigh
Medial Thigh
Pubic Attachments
Pes Anserinus
Anterior Leg
Lateral Leg
Lateral Thigh
Lateral Hip
Hip Rotators
Posterior Thigh
Posterior Knee
Posterior Leg
Achilles Tendon
Plantar Foot
Dorsal Foot
Structure and Examination of the foot
Osseous Structures of the lower extremity

Track meet Results 100 meter - 12.04 seconds - 4th place in my heat

Overall the track meet was fun. My time was a second slower than I usually run but I think the lack of training and focus on high tension exercises the last 4 years has really slowed me down. I am axcited to start sprinting more and focus less on high tension exercises and more on ballistic (high rate of force development), stability exercises and mobility movements. I have another track meet this weekend at UCSD - The triton inviatioan - one of the biggest meets in the country. Should be fun.

God bless all those souls who lost their lives yesteryday in the Virginia Tech Shootings. May God's holy spirit minister to the families who lost children and to the Virginia Tech students!

Be well, enjoy life..it is short!

Revolution Newsletter

If you haven't read the interview we have with Dr. Eric Cobb, do yourself a favor and read this incredible article!

Newsletter # 17

Cortisol...overtraining...burn out!

I took last week off completely from training as I felt trashed. My training the last month had been good but with a very busy work schedule my body was in a chronic state of overtraining and adrenal exhaustion. And with elevated levels of CORTISOL you can experience some pretty bad symptoms that lead to poor health. I have discoverd that with a busy work schedule I need to limit my volume and my intensity. What are some of the signs of adrenal exhaustion? Here is are some:

* Poor sleep at night
* Poor immunity
* Constant soreness in muscles
* Negative response to all intense exercise
* High resting heart rate upon rise
* General Malaise, depression and hopelessness
* Apathy and an overall negative outlook on life

The bottom line: too many stressors in your life lead to higher cortisol levels and that leads to disastrous results. Read below!

The following info is taken from www.biodia.com

Physiology
Cortisol, which is best known for stimulating gluconeogenesis, is essential for normal glycogenolysis. Cortisol affects the heart, vasculature, blood pressure, water excretion, and electrolyte balance. It mobilizes protein stores in all tissues except the liver; it mobilizes fatty acids from adipose; it is the precursor of cortisone and acts as an anti-inflammatory; and it is the primary hormone directing immune function. Cortisol can stimulate or inhibit gene transcription, promote apoptosis, and affect bone metabolism and calcium dynamics. It affects behavior, mood, neural activity, and a variety of central nervous system biochemical processes. Cortisol affects the eyes, gastrointestinal tract, reproductive function, and the production and clearance of other classes of hormones. It is a major marker of the complex control loops regulating the sex hormones. The general effect of excess cortisol is usually stimulatory and catabolic; a deficiency of cortisol usually results in a slowing of physiology.
The salivary free fraction of the adrenal cortisol output is reported because of its high clinical correlation to accurately assess adrenal function. To determine the cortisol circadian rhythm, four individual cortisol levels is taken at specified intervals throughout the day: in the morning between 6 and 8 a.m., between 12 and 1 p.m., in the late afternoon around 4 or 5 p.m., and at nighttime between 10 p.m. and 12 a.m.

In the presence of stressors, the body almost immediately attempts to increase cortisol levels. This increase is associated with both endocrine and autonomic responses in preparing the body to defend itself normally. However, elevated cortisol levels for extended periods negatively affect virtually every aspect of physiology. For example, it becomes more difficult to maintain proper blood sugar levels; to slow down for rest, recovery, and repair; to get good quality sleep; to balance other hormones; to maintain mucosal immune integrity; to maintain bone mass, to produce effective general immune function; to effectively regulate inflammatory processes; or to detoxify the body. Without proper intervention, continued high adrenal stimulation can lead to adrenal exhaustion and lowered cortisol levels. Eventually adrenal or cardiac failure can occur.

DHEA is the major precursor of testosterone and the estrogens. It becomes active at puberty. In this profile, the more stable, sulfated form of DHEA, DHEA-S is measured, providing a more reliable measure of DHEA levels than measuring DHEA directly. DHEA is an important modulator of many physiological processes. It promotes the growth and repair of protein tissue (especially muscle), and acts as a counter-regulatory agent to cortisol, negating many of the harmful effects of continued excess cortisol. When increased demand for cortisol is prolonged, DHEA levels decline. DHEA then is no longer able to balance the negative effects of excess cortisol. Depressed DHEA levels serve as an early warning of potential adrenal exhaustion. In fact, adrenal exhaustion is evidenced by an elevated ratio of the sum of the four cortisol measurements to the DHEA-S average. (The ideal level of the aforementioned ratio is 5 or 6:1)

A chronic imbalance between adrenal stimulation and cortisol and/or DHEA output is associated with a multitude of both clinical and subclinical systemic disorders. Chronically depressed DHEA output results in an imbalance in sex hormones. Abnormal cortisol and/or DHEA values (either elevated or depressed) result in a decrease in the activity of the immunocytes that produce secretory IgA (sIgA). SIgA provides a mucosal first-line immune defense against virtually every pathogen, including parasites, protozoa, yeasts, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. SIgA also provides a normal immune response to regularly encountered food proteins. Dysfunctional mucosal immunity is associated with an increased risk of infections and of adverse food reactions.

Clinical Use
The degree and timing of cortisol imbalances provide the healthcare professional with valuable insights into the nature of causative stressors, and allow the practitioner to formulate remedial protocols (refer to BioHealth's Adrenal and Metabolic Interpretive Guide). Readily identifiable inducers of increased adrenal stimulation include stressors such as tissue damage, inflammation, pain, and mental or emotional stress. Other significant physiological stressors can be subclinical, and include intolerance to the gliadin fraction of gluten protein, lactose or sucrose intolerance, glycemic dysregulation, delayed food sensitivity, and infection with viruses, bacteria parasites and/or other pathogens. Additional testing may be necessary to rule out the possibility of these and other factors interfering with digestion and absorption and creating inflammation and stress on adrenal glands. These types of problems could impede absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients, and the maintenance of normal blood sugar. Chronic dysfunction of any of these processes is a sufficient cause of adrenal exhaustion. Physiological pathways, organs, or systems identified as being the major cause of some other disorder may concurrently serve as causative agents in adrenal exhaustion. In most cases, regardless of the priority given to another pathway, organ, or system as being dysfunctional--and virtually regardless of the condition identified--adrenal exhaustion resulting from excessive stress must be addressed and rectified in order to restore normal physiology or function.

Conditions Assessed
Conditions that may be assessed include adrenal exhaustion, often misdiagnosed as hypothyroid, but may include a hypothyroid condition as well; systemic hyper- or hypo-excitability, whether of suspected neural or hormonal origin, including suspected thyroid, pancreatic, and sex hormone disorders; states of immunodeficiency; and states of abnormal physiological response to any of a variety of stimuli including foods in the normal diet.

That is some serious reading if you got through it.

Going to focus less on weight training for now and more on track work/sprints.

Competitions coming up: This Friday and next Saturday. I will be competing in the 100 meters. It has been one year since I have competed. We'll se what happens as it should be fun.

That's it!

The Old School Dumbbells

Yoana and I have a friend named Enrique Hernandez, a former world champion Powerlifter, who owns a used fitness equipment store in Chula Vista, CA. The cool thing about his store is that in the back he has a "dungeon" gym; no mirros, no fancy equipment, just hardcore weights and iron. He has an old set of the round circus looking dumbbells from the turn of the last century. Just walking into his gym makes you feel stronger. He had a set of 150 pound dumbbells that I picked up one a time; damn those things were heavy. I imagine the feeling I get walking into Enrique's gym is similar to what I would get when I walk into Westside or all the other powerlifting underground dungeons in the rest of the world. You know that when there is GIANT bowl of chalk that there is some serious lifting going on.

Amen to the DUNGEON gyms that are out there. No fluff, just serious, hardcore training!

Saturday

I decided to take Yoana's saturday morning class and it was a cooker. It was right out of our book and DVD's the Revolution KB Fat Loss Program.

It was the Level II, Routine A:

Double Attack Jump + Double Clean + Double Military Press 5
Windmill 3/3
Single Bent Over Row 8/8
One Arm Swing Ladder 1,1 2,2 3,3 4,4 5,5

x 3 sets

Prone Bear Walk with KB's 6/6
Single Leg Deadlift 5/5
Farmer's Walk down the block
Star Jumps 5
Triceps (didn't do these - didn't want to)

x 3 sets

I used the double 24kg's on all lifts - very challenging. I forgot what a butt kicker these workout are from our program.

If you have not bought our book and DVD, what are you waiting for. These workout will absolutely get you into AMAZING shape and with summer right around the corner, why wait. You can get the book and DVD by clicking this link:

Revolution KB Fat Loss Program Book and DVD